Re: Penelope builds a kernel

[Pavel Zaitsev <pavel@md5.ca>]

Agreed. ESR is reading too much of "Unix haters handbook" and should
take a pinch of reality.
p.

Bruce Harada(bruce@ask.ne.jp)@Tue, Jan 15, 2002 at 07:37:49AM +0900:
> On Mon, 14 Jan 2002 16:59:09 -0500
> "Eric S. Raymond" <esr@thyrsus.com> wrote:
> 
> > Scenario #3: Penelope goes where the geeks are surfing.
> > 
> [SNIP]
> >
> > Penelope needs to build a kernel to support her exotic driver, but she
> > hasn't got more than the vaguest idea how to go about it.  The
> > instructions with the driver source patch tell her to apply it at the
> > top level of a current Linux source tree and then just say "build the
> > kernel" before getting off into technicalia about the user-space
> > tools.
> > 
> [SNIP]
> 
> So, she calls up one of the innumerable independent Linux support companies in
> her area (hey, this is a fantasy scenario, right?) and tells them what she
> needs, pays them $30, and guess what? she never needed to run anything
> herself.
> 
> I think some people are getting too involved with the issue to see that SOME
> people probably don't care what kernel they're running, or even what a kernel
> is, they just want to give someone money to fix their problem. It's like your
> local auto-repair shop - someone who knows about car engines wouldn't take
> their car there except for major repairs, because they know what to do in most
> situations, but most people just want to drive. If they ever get sick of
> paying to put the mechanic's kids through college, they will learn how to
> change the oil themselves, but honestly, most people simply can't be bothered.
> 
> And before you say that Linux is supposed to empower the people of the world,
> not limit them, I wouldn't say that learning how to change my oil "empowers"
> me all that much.

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